jacksneira's review against another edition
1.0
I couldn't get into this one. It was a slow and confusing start. Once it made sense I couldn't care for anyone in the story and had to give up trying.
kelleyannelyse's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
jessreads3's review against another edition
Got bored. I would like to read it again in the future.
daisycalloway's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booksbyjoanna's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/3
Addie LaRue just wants to be free. In order to get out of a dull life with a forced marriage, she makes a deal with the Darkness itself to live as she desires.
But the Darkness is not a giving entity and he tethers her to terrible conditions in order to reap her soul. As soon as people turn away from Addie, they forget her completely. No one ever remembers her. She cannot own a home, friends, choose a family, or even own things without them vanishing. She also cannot die.
She refuses to surrender her soul, though, and walks this earth for hundreds of years. Then everything changes when she meets Henry.
Listen, I really wanted to love this book. I read The Last Tale of the Flowerbride (recommend) and the back says if you love Addie La Rue you’ll love TLTF! So I decided to pickup this book.
Addie is not the best narrator and we don’t get to really know her. She tells us how she learns more about her deal and highlights memories. But we don’t get to know her as a person, even at the end.
The book was also repetitive and dragged. While I understand the author wants us to understand certain themes and lessons, the repetition didn’t add more to the way I felt or learned as a reader. It just dragged. So. Slowly.
I also love historical fiction, and this book didn’t excite me when it spun a new narrative on famous figures. That’s when I knew this story wasn’t my favorite.
Parts where Addie and the Darkness interact were more interesting but not by much and not every time. Then we have to journey through Henry’s story just as we get somewhere. It just felt like so much work with little reward.
I really enjoyed the very last part of this book which can be so frustrating. How do you rate a book that is clearly a 2 star read only to be met with an awesome ending?
I wish this story’s timeline was different. I would’ve enjoyed the story more if it started with a narrator talking about ‘the girl who got away’ and revealed it was Henry telling the story and picked up where they met and had to make tough choices later on. I enjoyed his summary at the end the most and it made Addie’s story sound way more interesting. Like I said, Addie wasn’t the best narrator.
Because of the ending, I went up a bit in my review. Would I read this again? No way. But the ending did (finally!) move me and make me tear up. Those three words- you know what I mean!
Addie LaRue just wants to be free. In order to get out of a dull life with a forced marriage, she makes a deal with the Darkness itself to live as she desires.
But the Darkness is not a giving entity and he tethers her to terrible conditions in order to reap her soul. As soon as people turn away from Addie, they forget her completely. No one ever remembers her. She cannot own a home, friends, choose a family, or even own things without them vanishing. She also cannot die.
She refuses to surrender her soul, though, and walks this earth for hundreds of years. Then everything changes when she meets Henry.
Listen, I really wanted to love this book. I read The Last Tale of the Flowerbride (recommend) and the back says if you love Addie La Rue you’ll love TLTF! So I decided to pickup this book.
Addie is not the best narrator and we don’t get to really know her. She tells us how she learns more about her deal and highlights memories. But we don’t get to know her as a person, even at the end.
The book was also repetitive and dragged. While I understand the author wants us to understand certain themes and lessons, the repetition didn’t add more to the way I felt or learned as a reader. It just dragged. So. Slowly.
I also love historical fiction, and this book didn’t excite me when it spun a new narrative on famous figures. That’s when I knew this story wasn’t my favorite.
Parts where Addie and the Darkness interact were more interesting but not by much and not every time. Then we have to journey through Henry’s story just as we get somewhere. It just felt like so much work with little reward.
I really enjoyed the very last part of this book which can be so frustrating. How do you rate a book that is clearly a 2 star read only to be met with an awesome ending?
I wish this story’s timeline was different. I would’ve enjoyed the story more if it started with a narrator talking about ‘the girl who got away’ and revealed it was Henry telling the story and picked up where they met and had to make tough choices later on. I enjoyed his summary at the end the most and it made Addie’s story sound way more interesting. Like I said, Addie wasn’t the best narrator.
Because of the ending, I went up a bit in my review. Would I read this again? No way. But the ending did (finally!) move me and make me tear up. Those three words- you know what I mean!
k_rooz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
alsumcupcake5's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
love_mai's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
saraedgett's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
laleha's review
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Parts of this book were delightful, parts were annoying, and occasionally obnoxious (as a green eyed AND freckled person I wonder exactly how often moods change my hue and precisely how many freckles adorn my face), but this one was mostly enjoyable. I definitely preferred Addie’s adventures through history more than her modern romance, although I did wonder, in a very Bella Swan way, what made her so special.